Papa Moony
by The Next Marauder
Summary: Remus is always known to be level headed and amazingly calm in all situations, but when he finds two wolf cubs at full moon, could they change his outlook? And for the better?
1. A Scenic Walk

**Papa Moony**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing you notice, except maybe the occasional sarcastic remark…

**Dedication:** Dedicated to the 25th of July, because it's my last day of holidays until I go back to school.

**A/N:** This could possibly be the weirdest story I've ever written! I'll go out on a limb and see where this takes me… Have fun reading!

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The werewolf shot through the trees, running as fast as its legs would carry it. Underneath the swift exterior beat the heart of a seventeen year old, struggling for some kind of control. He jumped over a fallen log and kept running, deeper and deeper into the forest. Behind him he could just hear the barking of a dog, and the sounds it made as it crashed through the undergrowth, trying to catch up to him.

A new scent filled his nostrils, something he knew, but didn't remember exactly what it was. He slowed down and came to a halt in a clearing. It was near, and it was small. A badger perhaps? A fox?

No. This was something different.

He sniffed the air, and pivoted on his two back feet. Putting his nose to the ground he followed the scent. He halted when he heard something up ahead. It was canine, but it wasn't the big dog he'd been out running. No, this was something else, something smaller. It was whimpering quietly in fear. He padded forward and stuck his nose into the bush that was the source of the sound.

He nosed around for a few seconds, and then felt a sharp pain on his nose. He withdrew it quickly and shook his head. Intent on knowing exactly what this was he grabbed a branch from the bush in his teeth and pulled. There was a loud cracking sound and the branch broke free. He tossed it to the side and peered into the bush. A two small faces peered back. Suddenly one of them opened their mouth and gave a sharp bark.

The werewolf jumped back in shock. Mentally scolding himself for being scared of something so small he walked forward again and started sniffing them. The one that had barked before growled. He growled back and continued sniffing them again.

He took a step back. Wolf cubs. But where was their mother? He shivered as the wind changed direction. And suddenly a putrid smell invaded his senses. His head snapped up and turned to look where the smell was coming from. With a backward glance at the two cubs, still snuggled together, he lolloped through the trees.

He knew what it was before he reached it. But that didn't stop him from looking. The she-wolf was on her side, as if she was running, with no visible wounds. The boy inside shivered as he realised what had happened. Deatheaters hunting for aurors in disguise. He looked up to the sky and watched as the moon set for the night. He felt his bones bend back into shape and slowly he regained his human form.

Remus was on all fours, staring at the ground. He had a discission to make. He slowly stood up and walked back to the clearing, looking at the cubs. He sighed. He couldn't just leave them there to die of cold and starvation, or to be picked off by predators.

He moved slowly to the bush, smiling slightly as one started to growl at him. He reached forward and quickly grabbed one with each hand by the scruff of the neck. Silently wondering what he was going to get himself into, he went to find a safer place, and to get himself out of the forest as quick as possible.

---

Remus stared out of the window towards the forest when Sirius plopped down beside him.

"What's up Moony?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"Nothing? When you have a book on your lap, and you're not reading it, something is wrong."

Remus turned to look at his friend. Behind the fringe of shaggy black hair that fell in his face, Sirius's blue eyes were concerned.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired from last night," he muttered. "I think I'm going to go for a walk," he announced, and clambered through the portrait hole, leaving a bewildered Sirius behind him.

---

As Remus walked out the oak doors to the grounds, he pulled his cloak around him. Winter was slowly ebbing away, but that didn't deter the cold. He walked casually to the edge of the forest and then looked around to see if anyone was watching. When he decided it was all clear he slipped inside.

Stumbling over the occasional root he managed to navigate his way to the cub's hiding place. He pulled back the branches and peered into the crevice in the rocks where the two were snuggled up.

"Hi," he whispered weakly, suddenly realising that he should have brought food for them. He looked around the trees for something for them, but didn't see anything. Suddenly he felt incredibly stupid and he realised he was in fact a wizard, and quite good at transfiguration.

He looked at the cubs and judged by their size that they should be eating meat, so he turned the nearest rock into some food and pushed it towards them. They poked their noses up and sniffed the air for a moment, then ran over to the meat and started tearing off chunks.

Remus watched them and chuckled at their overall awkwardness. He was roused from his thoughts at a sound behind him, followed by a voice.

"Argh, crap!" _Thump_ "Ouch. Damn it!"

Remus hastily covered up the still eating cubs and stood up, just in time to see Sirius stumble out from the trees, tangled in branches, with what looked like a bird's nest in his head.

"Padfoot? What're you doing here?"

Sirius sneezed. "I… err…"

"Were you following me?" emus asked putting two and two together.

"No… I umm… wanted to… um… err… Go for a scenic walk."

"Into the Forbidden Forest?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he said, fixing a lame grin on his face. "What are you doing?"

"Never mind, we should be getting back, it's getting dark," he said, walking past Sirius and through the trees.

Sirius untangled himself and ran after Remus. Halfway up the stairs to the school he worked up the corage to say something.

"What were you doing in the forest?" he asked.

"Taking a scenic walk," Remus said with a smile.

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**A/N:** I know I know, slow start. But I swear it will get better. Could I possibly beg for a review? 


	2. Marauder Mystery

**Disclaimer: **I Don't own anything you regognise, Harry Potter or not...

**A/N:** Slightly strange chapter, but I wrote part of it after my maths test today, so it might be a bit... random...

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"Hey Moony, can I see your History of Magic notes?" asked Peter, looking up from his mountains of homework.

"History of Magic…Notes?" he asked, looking dazed.

"Err, yeah. Since you're the only one in class who actually take notes…" he trailed off.

"Oh. I didn't take notes. Sorry," Remus said, frowning slightly.

Sirius chose that moment to make an annoyingly loud entrance. Although all of Sirius's entrances were loud, followed by the whispers of fan girls, they were not always annoying. And that's what made Remus frown more.

"Hello!" he almost-bellowed, vaulting over the back of the sofa and landing perfectly.

"Padfoot, did you happen to take notes in History of Magic today?" Peter asked hopefully.

Sirius scoffed. "Me? Take History of Magic notes? You've got to be joking. Ask Moony."

"I didn't take any," Remus murmured, his gaze drifting over to the window.

Remus suddenly felt a hand on his head, and then another grabbing his wrist. "No temperature, pulse seems to be fine, it's a mystery illness!" Sirius said, mock concerned.

"It's not a mystery, it's just me taking a break," Remus stated.

"But it is a mystery! A Marauder mystery, which I feel compelled to solve!" Sirius said, bouncing up and making wild hand gestures.

"What's a Marauder mystery?" asked James, who had just walked over. He mimicked Sirius's actions, and managed to vault over the sofa in exactly the same way, landing in exactly the same place.

"Nothing's a mystery! It's normal! Just because different happens, everyone seems to think the world is going to end!" shouted Remus, and he stormed off through the portrait hole.

"Ok… That was the strangest thing I've ever seen," Peter said, with wide eyes.

"Did Moony just… shout?" asked Sirius slowly.

"I think so…" James said quietly.

"Now THAT'S a Mmarauder Mystery," stated Sirius. "And it is up to me, Sherlock Black, to solve it!"

"I thought your name was Sirius, not Sherlock. When did you get a name change?" Peter asked looking puzzled.

Sirius sighed. "I didn't. He's a muggle detective. I read about him in one of Moony's books."

"Well good luck Sherlock Black, I'm off to do something that won't end up in us looking like five-year-olds," James yawned, stretching and getting up.

"Fine, I shall have my faithful Watson at my side!" Sirius gestured at Peter behind James's receding back.

"I'm not Watson, I'm Peter!" he squeaked. "Pe-ter. Say it with me. Peee-"

"I get it! I'll do this myself," he said, going up to the dorm to grab what he would need.

---

Remus smiled as he watched the cubs play in the clearing. They were the reason he'd been so distracted, that he didn't take any notes. Although he couldn't understand why he'd got so mad before.

Was it because he didn't want anyone to find out? But they were his friends, and they'd helped him before. Was he afraid of being called a sissy? No, he'd never worried about what other people thought or said about him. Was it the challenge? The idea that he could do this, on his own, and succeed? He decided quietly that that was the answer.

He didn't have to wonder why Sirius wanted to find out. He usually knew everything that went on in Remus's life. It wasn't abnormal for Sirius to dub something a 'Marauder Mystery' and to call upon the group to troop around the castle trying to solve it. Remus smiled. Sirius was mature when he wanted to be, which was hardly ever, but he did have the mind of a five-year-old.

He went back to watching the cubs playing, and decided that he should probably name them. He knew it was a bad idea to get attached, but it couldn't possibly hurt.

He looked at the slightly bigger one, which was grey with brown spots on its ears. It was the more active one, the dominant one, and it reminded him somewhat of Sirius. He pondered for a while and came up with a name. Banazir. He'd always liked that name, and it was from his favourite book _Lord of the Rings_.

The other one was smaller, and shyer. It was different grey shades, with bright eyes. Remus started to think again. Nimrod. He smiled and sighed, w atching them running around. It was getting dark, and since it was a Saturday he had a lot of homework to get to. He ushered the cubs back into the rocks and covered up the entrance. Slowly he made his way back to the castle.

---

Meanwhile, Sirius had found a pair of sunglasses in the dorms, and had decided not to be Sherlock Black, but 007. At the moment he was sliding with his back on the walls, dressed all in black with his hair slicked back.

He stopped at a corner and stuck his head around it. Seeing that no one was there he got down on his stomach and rolled across the floor. Suddenly he hit something that hadn't been there before, but with his face down on the stone floor he still knew what it was.

"Mr Black, what are you doing?" asked a rather annoyed looking McGonagall.

"You're right. The name's Black. Sirius Black. And I'm investigating," he said with a grin.

"Would you mind exactly what it is you are investigating?" she asked, her mouth going thin.

"Remus's odd behavior," he stated.

"What's going on?" she asked, her voice dangerously calm.

"Well if I knew that Professor, I wouldn't be investigating," he said his grin going lop-sided.

"Mr Black, I advise that you do not roll on the floors, as someone could step on you," she said, keeping a stern face but trying hard not to laugh.

Sirius frowned at her back as she walked away. He shrugged and slid back up to the wall.

---

Remus sat frowning at his homework. It was late, and since he hadn't spent his time doing his homework he had it all now. The flames in the fire were dying down, and a glance at his watch told him it was two o'clock in the morning.

He yawned, and as he opened his mouth he heard a howl. He looked out the window and smiled. It was coming from the Forbidden Forest. And with that, he packed up his stuff and went to bed.

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**A/N:** Did I do good? Did I? 


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